Mallow climbed up the gum tree with a fresh eucalyptus leaf. Mama was right there. But pop! A tiny joey peeked from Mama's pouch and got the first nuzzle. Mallow stopped on the rough bark. "Oh," said Mallow.
Mallow gathered the biggest, glossiest leaves and stacked them high on a branch. "Look at mine!" called Mallow. Mama smiled. Then achoo! The baby joey sneezed so hard, three leaves boinged onto Mallow's head. The branch wobbled, and Mallow scowled.
So Mallow tried a big-kid climb. Up, up, up to the highest fork. The wind swished. The gum leaves flashed silver-green. Then a tiny squeak came from below. The baby joey had slipped halfway out of Mama's pouch. Mallow froze for one blink.
Then Mallow reached down. One paw. Then the other. Mallow braced on the scratchy branch and helped the baby joey back into Mama's pouch. "Thank you, big sibling," said Mama.
The baby joey patted Mallow's nose with a soft pink paw. Mallow laughed. The eucalyptus leaves rustled all around them.
Mallow settled beside Mama on the sunny branch. This time, Mallow stayed close. The leaves whispered overhead, and the tree swayed softly in the bright afternoon.
